As a bed bug extermination service serving south-eastern and Central Ohio, at Sleep Tight Bed Bug Control we see first hand the damage bed bugs can cause physically and emotionally. The Ohio bed bug epidemic continues to grow and have significant impact. While most people think mostly of the physical scars, those little hive-like little red bumps that some people get due to bed bug bites, the extent of the damage of an infestation can have a far deeper emotional damage.
Bed Bug Fears
We have seen people who are afraid to travel anywhere. This includes the fear of getting bed bugs from hotel rooms, airplanes, waiting rooms, and other public places. Additionally, if you currently have bed bugs or are concerned that you may have bed bugs, this brings on the fear of spreading the parasites to friends homes, your place of work, or other public places.
Is this fear warranted? Well according to CBS News, Ohio has four of the worst cities for bedbugs in the United States. Those cities include Columbus, Dayton, Cincinnati, and Cleveland. Now if you take into account that 3 of those four are the most populated cities in Ohio, you may wonder about smaller areas. What about bed bugs in Logan, Ohio or McCarthur, Wellston, Nelsonville, Lancaster, Chillicothe, Circleville or other smallers cities and towns. While these areas don’t have enough population to make the national bed bug worst city lists, that doesn’t mean that the problem doesn’t exist. If fact, we see numerous bed bug infestations in small towns and cities, and even homes in the country everyday.
Whether you are in a million dollar Victorian home, an apartment, house trailer, or a ranch style home, bed bug infestations can invade your residence. It is also important to note that there is no shame in finding out that you have a bed bug infestation in your home, as bed bugs are not selective in which Ohio residents they target.
Bed Bugs at the Office
This brings another thought that is important to consider for business owners. That being, the importance to manage and eradicate any infestation on our property before bed bugs are carried to the homes of your employees or customers. It is a social media nightmare to have your location declared as infested with bed bugs by a customer, employee, guest, tenant, or visitor. Due to the significance of the infestation problem in Ohio it is common for business owners, landlords, property managers, and other responsible parties to schedule routine bed bug inspections and also incorporate preventative bed bug maintenance programs. In addition to prevention of a potential PR nightmare, bed bug prevention programs can also save the business substantial money in bed bug extermination fees due to the rapid progression of bed bug infestations.
Whether you are a home owner, renter, business owner, property manager or just a concerned resident, the war on bed bugs is real and should be of concern. However, if properly managed the concerns can certainly be reduced, even in the state of Ohio, which has 4 of the top 15 worst bed bug cities.
Sources:
CBS News – Bedbugs Yuck! 15 Worst Cities
